


Anodyne

by BirdOfHermes



Series: The Thirst Trials [6]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Dirty Talk, Dom Loki (Marvel), Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hand Jobs, Massage, Massage therapist, Oral Sex, POV First Person, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Sassy Reader, Shameless Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Touch Starved Loki, Touch-Starved, Verbal Sex, masseuse - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-13 04:19:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17481044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdOfHermes/pseuds/BirdOfHermes
Summary: Anodyne (n): anything that relieves distress or pain.Your regular client, Thor, brings his brother Loki along to your massage parlor for a consultation. Loki proves to be your most difficult client yet. And perhaps the most intriguing one as well.aka a role reversal of my fic "Therapeutic."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *crosses arms and glares daggers at saiansha* ALL. YOUR. FAULT. 
> 
> Yeah, this was her idea and I couldn't bloody resist so I guess we're diving headfirst into the trashpile all over again. But I promise this isn't one of those Midnight Sun situations. This is actually a different telling of the same premise but with Reader as the massage therapist and Loki as the stressed out client, including changes and new additions to the story. So...have fun, thirst buckets. 
> 
> Oh, and keep in mind, I made all this massage shit up. Do not quote me on any of it. Actual massage therapists, I beg your forgiveness. I just needed things to happen because reasons. xD

_How can I put this in a way so as not to offend or unnerve?_  
_There's a rumor going all around that you ain't been gettin' served_  
_They said that you ain't you-know-what in, baby, who knows how long_  
_It's hard for me to say what's right when all I wanna do is wrong_  
_Get off!_  
_Twenty three positions in a one night stand_  
_Get off!_  
_I'll only call ya after if you say I can_  
_Get off!_  
_Let a woman be a woman_  
_And a man be a man_  
_Get off!_  
_If you want me, baby, here I am!_  
_-"Get Off" by Prince_

Any day Thor Odinson came to my massage parlor was a good day.

Today was just a rare exception.

When I'd arrived to open the parlor, I'd had my assistant Penny read off the client list, and I'd smiled fondly to see him return with his usual 9am appointment. Hell, it was hard not to enjoy his presence. Thor was what most women would consider the total package: funny, charming, intelligent, cheerful, and genuinely a nice guy. And it didn't hurt that he was jaw-droppingly handsome, 6'5'', and built like a brickhouse. Thor was the perfect kind of client, simply because he was a joy to be around, but because he had a girlfriend, he was also always safe. There was no temptation on either side to do anything inappropriate, and therefore, I could just enjoy massaging the god-like dreamboat to my heart's content.

However, he surprised me this time. When I'd turned the corner to take him back to his usual room, he wasn't alone.

"Milady!" Thor grinned boyishly, one of his enormous hands clapped upon the shoulder of an equally tall, dark-haired, spindly man in a suit. "I'd like to introduce you to my brother, Loki. The one I've been telling you about."

Brother was being generous. Loki looked _nothing_ like Thor.

Thor was all tanned skin and brawny, wide muscles. Loki was pale and elegantly slender. Not skinny. Just slender. His black suit was impeccable, his gold tie in a neat double-windsor, not a speck of lint or dirt upon him, and it fit him perfectly--relaying strength, agility, and class all at once. He held himself almost military-straight in posture, his hands in the pockets of his pants, an expression of annoyance and exasperation written on his features. His facial features were interesting. He had delicate cheekbones, a classic chin, narrow nose, sensual lips, and noticeable blue-green eyes with lashes as dark as his hair. However, the paleness told stories of sleepless nights and stress. He radiated discomfort. It was apparent even with him fully clothed that he needed attention.

"Oh," I said, and then offered my hand. "Nice to meet you finally."

Loki eyed me. He'd noticed my head-to-toe analysis, which hadn't taken more than a couple seconds, and I sensed he'd done one in return. He reluctantly shook my hand. "Charmed."

Mm, now that was surprising. I'd expected a different voice to come out of someone that tall and slender, but instead his voice was low, husky, and deep enough that I felt the vibrations travel down my arm. Like Thor, he had an English accent, but he pronounced words more sharply.

"I'd like you to do a consultation with him," Thor said. "He is in desperate need of your help."

"Your words," Loki said coldly, shrugging his brother's hand off and glaring.

Thor rolled his eyes. "Beware. He is in a foul mood. Should he do anything that displeases you, please feel free to kick him out into the street, milady."

I slapped on my friendliest smile. "I'm sure it won't be a problem, Thor. Why don't you head back? Meredith should be able to take care of you today in the Pineapple suite."

"Wonderful. Thank you, milady." He stooped to give me a cheek kiss and headed down the hallway towards the parlor. I gestured to the hallway in the direction of my office.

"Let's have a chat, shall we?"

Loki nodded silently and I led the way. He trailed after me almost soundlessly, like a looming shadow, very light-footed on the carpet, his stride long. I opened the door to my office and went in, flicking the lights on. He shut the door and gave my office a cursory glance. I dug through my files until I located a new client sheet and a clipboard, then grabbed my pen.

"Well, Mr. Odinson, what seems to be the problem?"

"Laufeyson," Loki said.

I blinked at him. "Oh. My mistake."

"We are brothers, but I am adopted. I am not related to that oaf."

My eyebrows rose. Boy, that was frank. "Ah. Well, have a seat, please."

Loki remained standing on my rug and sighed. "Let me save you some time, darling. I am only here because that buffoon would not stop badgering me about coming to see you. I have no intention of forking over valuable money for a service I find pointless and I am only here to shut him up. You don't have to waste your time talking me into your expensive frivolity. Now that he's gone, I can safely return to my life."

I stared at him in disbelief. He waited, perhaps expecting me to scream or cry or something.

Instead, I set the clipboard and pen on my desk, sat back in my chair, and smiled at him.

"Congratulations, Mr. Laufeyson. That's the fastest I've ever been insulted after meeting a man."

He cocked his head just slightly. Evidently, I'd surprised him. He definitely had thought I'd scream and throw him out. "There was no need for me to lie. I am frank about most things."

"I bet that charms everyone you meet."

Loki narrowed his eyes at me. "Life is not about charming people, contrary to what my brother thinks."

"So I guess no one ever told you that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

"What need have I for flies, darling?"

I shrugged. "It's just a saying. And it's not my point."

"What is your point, pray tell?"

"That you have lower back pain, headaches, a pinched nerve in your left calf muscle, and sore ankles."

Loki's eyes narrowed even further. "My brother told you that?"

"No," I said frankly. "You told me that just by standing there. I'm not an idiot, Mr. Laufeyson, contrary to what you believe. I didn't take this job just to have my own office and order people around. I take it seriously. I have a degree. I can tell what's wrong with you not only from your outstandingly rude, defensive behavior, but by your posture and gait alone. Not that you care, because you're clearly a close-minded, stuck up cock-smear, but just so you know on your way out the door, I'm not some kind of charlatan who cheats people out of hard earned cash. I help them work out sore muscles and knots in the vertebrae, and that in turn increases blood-flow to the brain, which helps with concentration, intelligence, retention, and sleep regulation. You would know that if the oxygen was actually reaching your brain instead of your dick."

I smiled wider, as sweetly as I could. "Now have a nice day, Mr. Laufeyson."

Loki stood there, fuming, breathing slow and hard, and glaring a hole through my head. He worked his jaw for a moment, and I could see the cogs turning as he reevaluated his response. "So you truly believe you are just that good?"

"I don't believe squat," I said. "I _am_ that good."

He smirked then. "Enough for a wager?"

I crossed my arms. "What wager?"

Loki stalked towards my desk and pressed his palms flat to it, leaning in to presumably loom over me. Good tactic. He had to be 6'4'' and he all but screamed intimidating. I just knew better.

"I will give you a chance to impress me with your skills," he said. "If I allow you to work on me, and you successfully reverse the afflictions you rattled off, then I will not only become your client, but I will pay in advance for one massage per week for the remainder of this year."

I tried not to lift my eyebrows in shock. "And if you're somehow unsatisfied with my services?"

"Then you don't charge me for this session and I walk out knowing I was right all along that this profession is nonsense and my brother is an idiot."

I shook my head in disbelief. "What the hell makes you think I care enough to want to put my hands on your pale, bony ass after you just waltzed in here, insulted me, and then challenged me?"

The smug smirk curled across his lips. "Because, my dear, you are just as competitive as I am and you are dying to shut me up."

I gave him nothing with my expression, but the blow had landed on my ego. Loki straightened and tucked his hands behind his back. "Do we have an accord, darling?"

I weighed my options. I wanted to punch this guy's lights out. Honestly. How could Thor ever claim this douche as his brother when he was so sweet and bubbly and wonderful? Family, I guess. I'd never understand it.

"One amendment," I said. "If I win, you have to write a glowing review and post it on social media where I can see it. 500 words, single spaced. Think you can handle that, darling?"

He showed me his teeth in a patronizing grin. "Deal."

I stood and walked around the desk, then shoved the clipboard and pen against his chest. "Go into the second room on the right with the cherry on the front, fill this out, then take off your clothes and get under the sheet. You may pick a scent if you'd like."

Loki accepted the items and answered in a rolling purr. "My, my, you sound lovely ordering men to get naked for you. Had some practice, have you?"

I batted my eyelashes. "Do as you're told, asshole."

Loki chuckled softly and left my office.

* * *

"You're an adult," I told myself seriously in the mirror above my bookshelf. "You're an _adult_. You're a fucking adult and you can deal with this prick."

I took a deep, cleansing breath and walked out into the hallway to the Cherry suite. I knocked twice. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Loki drawled. I rolled my eyes and entered the room.

He'd located the padded hangers I kept stocked in all my parlors and had hung up his entire entourage and placed the shoes on the chair by the left wall. He lay on the massage table propped up on his elbows as he waited for me, his fingers tapping away at his cell phone, probably answering an email. He'd actually tied his shoulder-length hair into a high ponytail. It should have looked absurd, but it was actually a little cute on him.

His body...well, I'm not wrong often, but I had to admit I'd underestimated it.

The suit hadn't quite done his shoulders justice, for instance; they had much more breadth and strength to them than previously indicated. While Loki was certainly rather svelte for a man, he clearly worked out and often. All his muscles had careful definition to them. He had an excellent diet, for sure, and he exercised for form rather than for muscle. He appeared to be a distance runner. Probably ran every morning before descending to hell to command his legion of demons to destroy mankind.

I swept by and snatched his phone from his hands. "We have a strict no phone policy."

I turned it off and tossed it on the chair atop his shoes. He shot me another death glare, but didn't protest. "How charming. You must enjoy being the center of foolish men's attention all the time."

"Eighty percent of my clients are women, genius," I spat as I went into the small bathroom and washed my hands. "And the point of this interaction is to relax. Cell phones have the opposite effect on the mind to relaxing."

"Did your degree teach you that?" he asked with plenty of sarcasm.

"I read, jackass. If you want the science behind it, I'll be sure to bludgeon you with the appropriate textbook that explains it."

He chuckled. "Quite the sharp tongue, darling. Your boyfriend must be henpecked to a degree that is hitherto un-dreamt of."

I rolled my eyes again as I dried my hands and returned to the main room. "My personal life is none of your business."

"Oh, how I wish," he groused, watching me apply lotion to my hands. "But my brother prattles on about you non-stop and so I know far more about you than I wish to know."

I blinked a little. Huh. Thor talked about me to him. Weird. Wonder why? I shook the thought off. "Not my problem he actually likes me."

"I can only assume you've slept with him if he likes you as much as he claims."

My hand was halfway to slapping him before I caught myself. He had a very smug look, as if he'd wanted me to do it, but I held off and just clenched my fingers into fists. "Look, this whole thing will go a lot smoother if you just shut up and let me work."

Loki plopped his head on one hand and kept smirking at me. "Why should I make this easy for you when I already think it's a waste of time?"

"You are a waste of time," I shot back. Not my best remark, but I had to do something to avoid smothering him with the pillow underneath him. I pictured that for a second and it actually calmed me down. "Now do you want to pick a scent or not?"

He glanced lazily over at the oil dispenser. "Very well. Eucalyptus-lemon."

I stomped over and dripped the oil into it. A few puffs of the soothing scent helped ease my temper. I took a few breaths to further calm myself, and became distinctly aware of the uncanny sensation that Loki was staring at my ass. After all, the height and position of the table put him in perfect view, and there was nothing I could really do about it.

For once, I had hoped he'd behave, but as I turned, I confirmed it. He didn't bother trying to hide it, either, lifting his eyebrows in challenge for me to say something. I glared. "Take a picture. It'll last longer."

"I would, but you took my phone."

My eyebrow twitched. I pictured smothering him a second time. "Lie flat on the table."

"Why? Are you going to stab me, darling?"

"If you keep talking, yes. I think the heel of my pump might go through your throat rather easily."

He chuckled again and flattened himself on the table finally. "So violent, darling. Perhaps you're the one in need of a massage."

"God, it would be so easy to break your neck right now," I muttered under my breath as I selected an oil from the warming tray.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," I growled, and returned to his side. I added a bit of oil to my hands first, and then dripped a thin line down the length of his spine. I wanted badly to just land one hard jab right into his lowest lumbar, but I resisted the urge to assault a potential client and instead settled my hands onto his pale skin to smooth the oil in.

Loki actually flinched a bit when I touched him.

I nearly froze. Well, that was unexpected.

His breathing stilted a bit as soon as my fingers touched him. Strange. It wasn't as if he hadn't been expecting it, and I knew my hands weren't cold because I'd purposely warmed them first. So why the flinching?

"Isn't this the part where you ask me stupid questions about myself?" he said with the utmost sarcasm.

"No need," I said as finished up applying the oil and focused on the base of his neck. I nearly winced as I noticed the tight tension throughout the muscles there. He had to be in pain most of the time, I would guess. He simply hid it well. "Thor told me you're a lawyer, which explains part of why you're such an asshole. It's in your job description."

"And what of yours? Is there some manual that says all massage therapists should be ice queens?"

I frowned at the back of his head. "I'm not an ice queen. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I dislike everyone."

"I'm a lawyer, which means I am trained to read people. I am more than certain that you don't have many friends and your work is the most important part of your life. You immediately try to distance yourself from anyone who could possibly care for you, which is why Thor is your favorite client. He is your fantasy, I imagine. Completely safe and a willing object for your affection and lust. It is much easier to fantasize about being his lover than to risk actually meeting a man worthy of your time and being vulnerable."

He glanced at me over his shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. "Now tell me I'm wrong."

I pictured smothering him to death a third time. "Cute trick. Can you read palms too, Miss Cleo?"

Loki rolled his eyes and faced forward again. "Deny it all you want. We both know I'm right."

I finished undoing the knots in his neck and slipped down towards the top of his shoulder blades. "You're pretty high and mighty for someone who is touch-starved."

Loki froze. "I beg your pardon?"

"Didn't think I'd figure that out, did you?" I didn't bother hiding the triumph in my tone. "But you flinched when I first started. Your entire body is radiating tension. You don't like being touched, but not because it's unpleasant; because it's unfamiliar."

"You are presumptuous," he snarled.

"And I'm in good company. Don't press my buttons and I won't press yours."

The insufferable bastard fell silent for a moment. "I could stand to hear more about your buttons."

I pinched him. Hard. He squirmed, but I could hear the laugh under his breath. However, the joke earned me a bit of a respite. He relaxed a little more underneath my hands and he allowed the silence to carry us through a brief period.

"Why did you become a massage therapist?" he asked quietly.

I eyed him, but decided to comply. "I enjoy the low stress environment and being able to help people relax who need it. Life's chaotic. This job lets you remind people to take a breather and not be so hard on themselves."

I waited for him to say that was stupid, but he didn't. Shocking. "And do you take your own advice, darling?"

"The world would be a different place if we all took our own advice," I said. "Do you take the advice you give your clients?"

"Hardly."

"Well, just in case you're ever in the mood to listen, you need to take better care of yourself. Diet and exercise aren't enough. Everything I'm undoing right now is almost entirely stress-related. You've got knots all up and down your back, and your muscles are bunched everywhere. I can't believe you've just been walking around like this for so long."

"My hours aren't exactly conducive to finding time for frivolous activities," he drawled. "Thor dragged me along on my morning off, for God's sake."

"Tough shit. If you throw your back out, I'm pretty sure you won't be at work. You'll be in traction."

I paused, frowning as I reached his lower back. "And why haven't you had a girlfriend recently?"

He grunted. "Why is that any of your business?"

"Because part of why you're so stressed out is lack of physical intimacy," I told him, spreading my hands as if I were making an eagle over his spine and applying pressure gradually. It was quiet, but I heard him sigh wistfully. I smirked to myself in victory. He was enjoying it, the pompous bastard. "It's psychological. The longer you withdraw, the more tension you carry in your body. Touch releases chemicals, pheromones, and hormones in your body. It keeps you from getting so locked up. I'm guessing that charming personality of yours is why."

"Hardly. The long hours aren't good for a social life. I have to attend annoying office parties to mingle and try to climb up the ladder. I'll worry about a wife once I make partner."

"Can't make partner from a hospital bed, Loki."

"It's not as easy as it sounds, or you'd have done it as well."

"And how do you know I'm not seeing someone?"

"You have as much a defensive posture as I do, darling. I can tell when it's been a while since a woman's had her bell rung, and you have certainly been without for a while."

I pressed a little harder than necessary on one of his vertebrae and he hissed. That made me feel a little better. "Yeah, well, I'm not the one with the jacked up back."

"What a shame," he lilted teasingly.

I sighed. "Walked right into that one. Sit up."

"What?"

"Sit up," I repeated. "I need to check your alignment."

Loki fidgeted. "Right now?"

I paused and then couldn't resist a shit-eating grin, the likes of which that would make the Grinch jealous. "Why, Loki, is there some reason you don't want to sit up right now?"

He growled, and I could see from his profile that he'd started blushing. I let out a quiet little laugh. "Look, I'm a professional. Relax. It's completely natural to be aroused during a massage. I'm not going to be traumatized, and you'll be facing away from me anyhow."

"You swear?" he demanded.

"Scout's honor. Face the door, please."

He grumbled under his breath, but maneuvered himself from his belly, wrapping the sheet around himself as he went, and then sat with his back to me. I bit my lip to keep from laughing as he crossed his arms over his crotch and the blush filtered down over his neck. Infuriating though he was, that reaction was nothing short of adorable.

I stood behind him and flattened my palms against his skin, letting my fingers trail over his shoulders and down the expanse of his back. I checked the height of both his shoulders and watched the way he breathed to see if he had any further discomfort. He still held some tension in a spot or two, but I could tell the difference from when he'd first walked in to now.

"Is your headache gone?"

He didn't answer. I flicked his ear. "Ow! Yes, you harpy."

Score one for me. I'd gotten his blood flow going. Well, obviously, since he was clearly aroused. I pressed my palm to the small of his back and then pulled his shoulders towards me. He hissed a little, so I worked on his lower back and then along his sides towards his hip. I grazed his ribs and he caught my hand on pure reflex.

"I...am... _sensitive_ there," he ground out, and I could still see a bit of the blush.

"Sensitive?" I asked innocently. "Meaning ticklish?"

"Sensitive meaning sensitive," he said defensively.

I tried not to smile. "Right."

Once I ascertained the lower back tension had been undone, I brushed my fingers underneath his jaw to see if he still had that crick in his neck. His hair was quite a bit softer than it looked as it brushed my wrist. Silky. I smelled a little pine in his shampoo.

Apparently, he had a sensitive jaw too; he inhaled a little sharply and I felt vibrations travel down my arms. It wasn't terribly audible, but I had good hearing; he was purring. I couldn't resist a grin that time. No matter how stubborn and stuffy he was, he liked this massage. Ha.

I worked on his neck a little more just to be on the safe side. Mostly because I wanted to win the bet. Maybe just a tiny bit because I liked the soothing purring noise he probably didn't notice he made when I touched the nape of his neck. With such a baritone voice, it was extremely pleasant.

And admittedly, pretty damn sexy.

I nibbled my lower lip as a thought occurred to me. An inappropriate one, but hey, he'd been inappropriate pretty much the second he walked in my door. I could get a little payback.

He was tall, so I had to get up on my tiptoes to reach the area of his ear. I let my voice drop to a calm, honeyed tone. "Loki?"

He shivered a little. "Yes?"

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

He cleared his throat. "Perhaps."

"Good."

I started to slide away, but along the way, my fingertips brushed his sides.

Loki moaned.

Oh, my.

It was _outstandingly_ hot.

My body immediately flushed from head to toe with deep, dark heat. I hadn't reacted to a man's sound that way. Ever. Something entirely primal had awoken at that low rumble. It brought up mental images of climbing atop him on the massage table and riding him hard to coax more of those electric moans out of him. For just a second, it sounded like an excellent idea.

Loki leapt from the table and broke me right out of the brief trance he'd just put me in. He started breathing hard, and way too fast, and I realized he might be having a panic attack. "Loki, easy, it's fine."

I came to his side and touched his shoulder. He grabbed my arm and shoved me to the wall behind us. I hit it with a slight yelp, startled, but he immediately let go. The gesture had probably been unconscious. A defense mechanism. Christ, he was even more damaged than he seemed.

"Don't," he whispered, trying to get his breathing under control. "Don't touch me right now."

I held perfectly still as he loomed over me. He shut his eyes and shivered, resting his forearm on the wall above my head and pressing his forehead against it. His other hand kept the wrinkled white sheet up around his waist, partially hiding his condition. A wave of sympathy went through me.

"Loki," I murmured. "Before today, when was the last time a woman touched you?"

He licked his lips before answering. His voice came out raw. "Fourteen months."

"Shit," I said softly, with feeling. "There's being pent up and then there's... _that_."

"I..." He swallowed hard. "I suffered a bad break up of a long term relationship."

Again, my heart stung. It didn't give him an excuse to be such a cold bastard, but it made sense why he pushed everyone away so violently. He didn't want to be hurt again. "It's okay. I understand why you're upset. Listen to my voice. Breathe. In. Out."

He still wouldn't look at me. He let out a low chuckle that did things to my stomach. Mainly made it tighten up into a knot in pure anticipation. "I think I should leave."

"You can," I told him. "If it's too much too soon--"

"That's not why and you know it," he whispered.

Then he stooped until his lips were level with my ear. "I want to _fuck you_ , darling."

I stopped breathing for a second. It was one thing to suspect as much, and another to hear him say it. His voice felt like he'd run an electric current right through me, one that had a stranglehold over my nipples and pussy in particular. He could do things with that voice that some men couldn't do with both hands, for God's sake.

"I want to fuck you on that table. Up against this wall. In the bathroom. On your desk. In my car. On your couch. In your bed. Over and over. Nothing but hard, fast, carnal _fucking_. For hours."

He sighed gently, stirring my ponytail. "I want to taste your lips. I want to bite your neck. I want to squeeze your ass. I want to put your legs on my shoulders and lick you until you come screaming my name. I want to feel you tremble when I slide my cock inside your perfect, wet, soft little cunt and fuck you until you can't take another second of it. I want to come deep inside you and feel it drip so very slowly down your beautiful thighs. I want to claim you. I want you to be mine and mine alone for however long you allow it."

Loki rose slowly, as if every movement meant he was on the verge of lunging at me to fulfill his fantasies, until our eyes met. "And that is why you cannot touch me right now. If you do, I cannot promise I won't try something."

My heart pounded frantically. I couldn't look away from the lust shining through in those captivating eyes of his. He was difficult. Arrogant. Privileged. Broken.

Carefully, I slipped past him and walked on shaky legs over to the counter. I found one of my business cards and pulled out a pen. I wrote on it and then returned to where he stood, offering it. He glanced at it. "What is this?"

"The address to my apartment," I whispered hoarsely. "Tonight. Ten o'clock."

Several things crossed his features at once: disbelief, suspicion, excitement, hesitance, desire, and relief. He plucked the card from my fingers and gave me a silent, but deep nod.

"Get dressed. And you owe me a hundred bucks per session. Pay up front with Penny."

Then I fled the room before I could talk myself out of what I'd just foolishly done.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Loki meet up at the apartment.

_If you don't believe I'm all I say_  
_Come up and take my hand_  
_When I let you go, you'll cry 'oh yes, he's a sixty minute man!'_  
_There'll be fifteen minutes of kissing_  
_Then you'll holler 'please don't stop!'_  
_There'll be fifteen minutes of squeezing_  
_And fifteen minutes of teasing_  
_And fifteen minutes of blowing my top_  
_If your old man ain't treatin' you right_  
_Come up and see old Dan_  
_I'll rock 'em, roll 'em all night long_  
_I'm a sixty minute man_  
_-"Sixty Minute Man"_   _by Billy Ward and his Dominoes_

"What are you doing?"

I stared at myself in the mirror as I capped the eyeliner. "What in God's name are you doing?"

 _No idea,_ my brain answered with a resigned sigh.

"This is insane," I said frankly. "Immoral. Dangerous. Stupid. Reckless."

 _That's sort of the point,_ my brain reminded me.

"Oh, right," I mumbled, blushing. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I didn't do one night stands, and I certainly didn't do them with clients. Especially not emotionally repressed, unbalanced, infuriating asshole clients.

But Loki.

A little shudder went up my spine as I flashed on the intimate stare he'd pulled me under with when he had me up against that wall. Damn it all. I'd wanted him then and there, to tell the truth. Things like that just didn't happen to women like me. The universe had given me a sign and I'd been too weak to pass it up. I couldn't blame it all on him, not really. It hadn't been fourteen months for me, but it had been a while since I'd been with someone. The last guy had been nothing to write home about. While I did take better care of myself than Loki did, he'd been right. No one had rung my bell in quite some time.

_Ding-dong._

Oh God. Speak of the devil.

I narrowed my eyes at the woman in the mirror before me. "You can do this. You deserve this. You deserve to be taken care of for once in your life, so don't blow it."

I paused. "No pun intended."

Then I slipped on my black silk robe, tied it, and walked to my front door.

I opened it. Loki stood there, with that perfect posture, hands in his pockets, his lids lowered over his amazingly focused eyes, a faint smirk on his lips. He wore a navy suit, no tie, black shoes. I caught the scent of soap and cologne on his skin; he'd showered recently. His hair looked even softer than before, and his skin while still pale had a more radiant quality to it. Damn, was I good at my job.

"Darling."

"Loki," I said in greeting and then stepped to one side. "Come in."

"Thank you." He walked inside. I shut the door and locked it, allowing him room. He had a look around. My apartment wasn't enormous, but it was a decent size, and I'd been here long enough to do some simple decorations. I liked the cooler side of the color spectrum, so blues, purples, silvers, greens, and burgundies were woven through the theme of my place.

Loki wandered a bit before returning to face me. "Very nice."

"Thank you."

He removed one hand from his pocket and offered me something relatively small wrapped in a little white bow. "A gift for the hostess."

I accepted it. "A bottle opener?"

"I had a feeling you were the type of woman who enjoyed luxurious bubble baths and wine."

I arched an eyebrow. "So I'm a stereotype, then?"

He chuckled. "They are based on truth, my dear."

"Well, I don't do wine," I sniffed as I padded into the kitchen and placed it inside the utensil drawer. "But I do like cider, so this will still work. Thank you."

"What about bubble baths?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

He grinned. "Perhaps I'll find that out later in the evening."

I tried to picture Loki in my garden tub with mounds and mounds of bubbles around him and couldn't stifle a giggle. "Perhaps."

His grin faded into an inquisitive look. "May I ask why you agreed to this?"

I took a deep breath and crossed my arms. "I...I'm not entirely sure, I guess. There's just something about you. A quality. The way I felt when you told me what you wanted...I haven't felt that before. No one's ever hungered for me before. Shown that level of interest, of need, of honesty. I want to know what it's like."

Loki cocked his head slightly. "What?"

I licked my lips. "To be devoured. To let go of something for a little while and just feel. Everything I do is so calculated and over-analyzed. As much as I pressed you about taking care of yourself, I haven't really been doing that either. You were right. I'm a bit of an ice queen."

He studied me for a long moment, and then walked over until we were inches apart. I flushed and stared at the sliver of bare skin above his open collar, nervous. He touched my chin and tilted my face up towards his. "Ice queens don't do what you did for me today. I haven't felt this good in years. I never noticed how far into discomfort I had been until you worked on me today."

Then he gave me a wicked little smile. "Either way, I intend to melt you tonight, if you'll have me."

My head got light all of a sudden. Oh, boy, what a good line. Loki may have been an asshole, but he was smooth as fucking butter when he felt like it. I fought to get my mind back on track before I shoved him against the wall and went to town on him. "Speaking of which..."

I forced myself to be firm as I stared up at him. "If I say stop or no, you listen. That's the way this works, period. If you don't like it, then we have nothing else to discuss."

"Darling, I'm an asshole, not a monster," he told me. "Of course I understand consent. I will do, or not do, whatever you ask of me. You have my word."

I nodded once. "Good. Same goes for me. If I do something you dislike, tell me immediately. I think it might be even more important for you, considering what you've been through in the past."

I bit my bottom lip before deciding to just be honest. "I...want to be good for you. So please tell me what you like. Show me. I'll try my best."

Loki licked his lips and his breathing deepened as he seemed to suppress some wild instinct for a moment. "Darling, I assure you, anything you choose to do to me or let me do to you will be nothing short of fantastic."

Again, I blushed, and he smiled a little. "May I kiss you?"

My heart fluttered. Wow. A man had never politely asked me that before. "Yes."

Loki leaned in, oh-so-slowly, his fingers still lightly resting on my chin, and kissed me.

Dear God.

He was right about the melting thing.

I almost dropped to the kitchen floor in a limp heap.

His lips were just as soft as they looked. He tasted a little like mint, and he trapped my bottom lip between both of his and sucked just barely before he deepened the kiss. I slid my hands up over the lapels of his suit jacket and felt the warmth of his chest for the first time. He felt solid and unyielding like an oak tree. His other arm slid around the small of my back and he tugged me closer, until I felt the bulge in his slacks. I shuddered. It had been so long since I'd been here, in the arms of a man who wanted me. I'd missed it.

He kissed me harder, slipping his hand into my hair to tilt my head back, breathing harder, faster, his tongue tracing endless patterns around mine. His arms tightened around me and he broke from my lips enough to growl out, "Bed. Now. Which room?"

"Second door on the left," I mumbled drunkenly. I had planned to pull away and lead him there, but he scooped me up off the floor and wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me there like I weighed absolutely nothing, stealing kisses the whole trip, not even fumbling when he reached for the doorknob. Loki was very strong and very coordinated. I had underestimated him.

He kicked the door shut behind us and gently deposited me on the edge of the bed. I reached for the rope belt to my robe, but he stopped me, and I understood. He tugged the black silk apart and found what lay underneath. I was a big believer in showmanship. I'd worn a tasteful pair of bra and panties beneath it; a rich, wine-colored set with accents of lace in its patterns. Nothing too over the top, but appealing nonetheless.

Loki's pupils dilated to a ridiculous extent as his eyes raked over my half-naked form. I calmly sat up and ditched the robe, reclining on my elbows with a coy smile. "Well, are you just going to stare at me all night?"

"I certainly could," he murmured. "You are beyond lovely, darling. I can't bloody decide where I want to put my mouth first."

I blushed again. He had the most ridiculously effective Silvertongue I'd ever heard in my life. It was damn near deadly. "I might have an idea or two."

"I have a dozen," he breathed, flexing his fingers before he slipped out of his suit jacket. "Now be a good girl and sit still for a moment, won't you?"

I pretended to sigh. "If I must."

He just smirked at me as he toed off his shoes and then raised his hands to the buttons on his white dress shirt. He plucked them apart one by one, staring intently at me to gauge my reaction. Every new sliver of smooth, pale skin made me breathe just a bit faster. An ache settled in the center of my lower body, pulsing along with my heartbeat. I was wet before he reached the last button and finally removed the shirt entirely. Sweet Jesus, yes. His chest was magnificent. Solid muscle and careful sculpting tapering down to a narrow waist that I couldn't wait to get my legs around.

Loki undid his belt and that cavalier smirk stretched over his lips. "Like what you see?"

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered, trying my best not to catapult off the bed and just bite him out of sheer and utter want.

He laughed softly and unbuttoned his pants, letting them drop before he walked towards me. He caught my knees in his big hands and pulled me towards him in a swift, smooth motion. He pressed his palm to my collarbone and pushed me flat to the bed, lowering his mouth to mine. He kissed me and pushed the straps to my bra off my shoulders as I wrapped my arms around his neck. The front of our bodies met at the same time and I hissed as I felt the outline of his cock beneath the dark boxer-briefs.

He reached underneath me enough to unhook the bra and I tossed it off onto the floor. Loki exhaled hard as his gaze lowered to my newly bared flesh and he slipped my left breast inside the hot cavern of his mouth, driving a gasp from me. I squirmed as goosebumps flared down my chest to my belly as he circled my nipple and plucked at it with his teeth, sliding his hands down to my ass. He squeezed it once, twice, and then slid his hands underneath the panties to cup my bare flesh. I moaned and spread my legs wider, grinding up against his hard length to try and find some kind of relief. He traveled to my right breast and echoed his touch from before, settling his knees on the bed at long last. He molded his long, lean frame into my curves and slowly circled his hips, rubbing his clothed cock over my opening with maddening patience. I lost my fingers in his hair and tried to weather the storm, but every movement drove me crazier and crazier with need.

"Loki, please," I gasped out finally.

He kissed the spot between my breasts, his voice velvet and sinister. "Please what?"

I couldn't quite get the words out. "Please."

"Tell me," he whispered. "Tell me what you want, darling."

I blushed up a storm. I'd never had a man actually make me say what I wanted aloud. "I...want you to..."

"Go on," he urged, his blue-green eyes focused on my burning face.

"Lick my pussy, Loki," I finally finished. "Please."

Again, that low, soft laugh left him and he sunk down my flat belly one kiss at a time. "As you wish, darling."

He drew the panties down my legs and knelt on the floor, since he was tall enough and the bed was high enough for him to reach. He tugged my thighs onto his shoulders and then spread them until he had his target in view. A rumbling growl of desire emanated from him.

"You are quite the pretty picture," he told me, running his fingers up and down the outside of my legs. "Let's find out if you're as sweet as you look."

I covered my face with both hands. He was going to kill me. I just knew it.

He lowered his mouth to meet me, his breath curling across my sensitive outer walls just before he touched them. He dragged his tongue upward, as if taking stock of me, tracing the curved lines of my entrance. Pleasure exploded within me like an atom bomb. It engulfed me in palpable, sizzling heat. My nerves curled and writhed with the sweet sensation. I bit my lower lip nearly hard enough to break the skin as I tried not to simply scream.

"How fortunate," Loki purred from between my legs. "You are as sweet as you look, darling."

"I hate you," I squeaked from between my fingers. He laughed again and returned to his good work. I let go of my face and gripped twin handfuls of the sheets, my head rolling back in desperation as he feasted on me like he hadn't eaten in weeks. His technique had me mewling and moaning and cursing him in seconds. He would gently lap at my outer walls, then lose his tongue inside me, licking and sucking, and then he'd brush those soft lips across my clit and drag just the barest edge of his teeth over me enough to provide the right amount of friction.

"Oh God, oh _fuck_ , oh God, Loki, for heaven's sake, stop," I pleaded. "Stop or I'm gonna come."

He pulled his tongue from inside me with deliberate slowness and licked his lips. "Is that not the point, my dear?"

I shook my head frantically. "I can't--not without--I haven't--"

"Shh," he said gently. "Easy. I want to take care of you. I want you to come for me."

"Y-You don't have to--"

"I want to," he told me, his gaze heavy and serious. "Have your previous lovers ever done this for you before?"

I shook my head. He hissed out a sigh. "Selfish bastards."

He rose suddenly from his knees and scooted me back onto the bed until he could stretch out on his belly. He caught my wrist and lowered my hand to just over my opening. "Keep your fingers right here. Very gently, I want you to rub the spot you're touching once I start up again. You're going to feel the urge to close your legs, but don't close them."

He cupped my outer thighs in his hands and slipped his tongue into me again, deeper than before, and then started rhythmically thrusting it back and forth. I cried out sharply and just like he'd said, my knees tried to clamp shut, but I forced them to stay open. Loki shivered, having felt my reaction, and didn't stop, though he did pause to tell me, "Rub your clit for me, darling."

It felt so embarrassing to obey him, but I did anyway. Oh, Christ. My eyes rolled back in my head. The pleasure turned itself up from loud to deafening. I tuned out the entire universe except for the all-consuming ecstasy racing through my veins. It didn't take long. Maybe a minute or two. My inner walls clenched and collapsed all of the sudden, and my orgasm shot through me like heroin. I writhed on the bed, whimpering, and Loki hummed contently through it, trapping me between his arms when I tried to squirm out of reach. He brought me back down with steady, patient laps of his tongue until I relaxed on the mattress, panting madly for air.

Dear God. _That_ was what I had been missing all these years? Man, I hated all my old boyfriends.

I draped my arm over my eyes. I couldn't think about what I'd just let him do to me. There was no mistaking it. I'd been completely at his mercy. He'd seen a side of me I'd never even seen before. I'd never been that vocal, that desperate, that open with a man before. Shit. It scared the hell out of me.

The bed shifted and I felt Loki's warm presence above me. Concern filled his tone. "Have I hurt you?"

"No," I whispered hoarsely. "I just...need a minute."

"I take it you haven't been this way with a man before."

I just shook my head. "You have no need to be shy, my dear."

"God, how can you say that?" I mumbled miserably. "You heard me screaming like a whore, for God's sake."

"You...I beg your _bloody_ pardon?" He grabbed my wrist and ripped my arm off my face, then pinned it to the bed.

"Are you actually _ashamed_ of what you just experienced?" he demanded, glaring at me.

"I..." I licked my lips. "I didn't think that I was going to--and you wanted me to--but I shouldn't have--"

Loki gritted his teeth for a second. "I may be the more fucked up person between the two of us, but you are positively insane if you think for a second you are not allowed to enjoy yourself honestly and completely in bed with a man."

"But I wasn't supposed to be like that--"

"Like what? Genuine? Have your lovers insisted you be quiet? Have they cultivated you into being compliant and only focusing on their pleasure? If so, I will need the names and addresses of every last one of them so I can personally arrive at their doorsteps and break their legs one at a time."

I blinked at him. He wasn't angry at me. He was...angry _for_ me. I didn't know what to do with that, exactly.

"You are a woman," Loki told me. "I don't get off until you get off. That is the way it should be. I want you to moan and scream and do whatever it is that makes you feel good with me. Do you understand?"

I swallowed and nodded. He shook his head. "Bloody hell. The very thought of a woman being shamed for enjoying sex infuriates me. You have an absolutely beautiful body and you deserved to be worshiped day and night. Regardless of what happens after tonight, you will accept that as your new way of life and only allow men who agree with that sentiment into your bed."

The absurd emphatic nature of his commentary made me shake with silent laughter. Yet he was completely serious. "Are you trying to teach me a life lesson or are you trying to fuck me, Loki?"

"Both," he said. "Don't ever let another man touch you unless he can make you come the way I just did. I mean that. Those unscrupulous fellows you have had before were unworthy of you."

"That's...weirdly the nicest thing you've ever said to me," I confessed. "And it's not actually bad advice. Huh. Maybe you are a good lawyer."

"I am a great lawyer," he sniffed. "Now then, shall we get back to business?"

"Yes, we shall." I ran my palm over the outline of his cock underneath the soft cotton. He hissed and drew away from me suddenly, his breath shallow, not meeting my eyes.

"I...wouldn't do that if I were you."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Loki, that's sort of the point."

"Not what I meant," he said, sounding strained. "It...has been a long time for me. I can control myself if I take care of you. If you do the reverse, I fear I won't last very long."

"Loki," I said in a gently scolding tone. "That's ridiculous. You shouldn't just cut yourself off because you want to last longer."

"I am no minute man, as they say. It would be insulting to you for me to finish quickly."

I almost groaned. "For God's sake, Loki. Look at me."

He slowed his breathing and then opened his eyes, a cautious look in them. I looped my arms around his neck and tugged him down on top of me until we were skin to skin, pelvis to pelvis, perfectly aligned in spite of our height difference.

"You just fussed at me for denying myself pleasure," I said. "Why is it okay for you to deny yours?"

"It's not the same. I may have..." He licked his lips. "...limitations that I am unaware of after such a long absence from sex."

I let a little wolfish smile touch my lips. "I'm here for a good time, not a long time."

He eyed me. "That is not funny."

"I mean it. I don't care how long the sex lasts if it's good sex. Great sex, even. You have to trust yourself and just figure it out. You're annoying as hell, but you haven't disappointed me yet. I doubt you're going to start."

I rolled my hips up into his and he groaned. "And I want this. I'm no sex goddess, but I want you to feel good too."

I punctuated the statement by slowly trailing my hands down his shoulders and over his ribs. He shuddered hard above me and moaned, pressing his forehead to mine. "Darling, please."

"It's okay," I whispered, stroking his chest, his sides, his ribs, over and over again. "I won't hurt you. I want you to feel good, Loki. Just focus on me, baby."

I maneuvered him to rest on his forearms above me and then lowered the hem of his boxer-briefs. Heavenly father and all his holy hosts. Loki Laufeyson had a gorgeous cock. Long, straight, and utterly perfect. My mouth watered just looking at it.

I gently wrapped my fingers around him. He tensed, but didn't pull away this time. "Shh, that's it, relax."

His cock had already begun leaking precum, so I let it wet my hand and then settled into light, delicate, careful strokes. Loki breathed hard and deep against me, trying to remain in control as I gently kissed him and gradually increased the pace of my fingers on his cock. My other hand made sweeping gestures over his upper body to get him used to the contact again, and little by little, the tension eased out of him.

"Does it feel good?" I whispered. "Does this feel good, Loki?"

"Yes," he murmured. "Oh, yes, darling."

"Tell me what you want."

"I want your cunt," he moaned out, thrusting up against my fingers, my palm. "I want to fuck you. I want to feel you come around my cock, darling. I want you to _scream_ for me."

Anticipatory shivers flitted up and down my spine at his words. "I want you to fuck me, Loki. I want you to make me come, make me scream for you, and I want you come for me."

"Fucking hell," he snarled, and then grabbed my wrist. He snatched it away, spread my legs even further apart, and slid inside me in one spine-tingling stroke.

We both cried out at the same time.

Loki froze once he was completely sheathed within me. A keening noise of pure desire that had broken free after months and months of isolation and waiting spilled from his lips. It was both a beautiful and heartbreaking sound. He'd been so damned alone for so long. He didn't deserve it.

"Don't move," he whispered against my lips. "Don't move, darling. Just let me...let me feel you for a moment."

He ran his hand down my side, my hip, my waist, sliding it around to my thigh. He lifted my leg just a bit and the last inch of him delved into me. My toes curled. Dear God, I'd missed this. I'd missed sex. I'd missed the intimacy and the touch and the scent and the sounds. It was the sweetest thing on earth.

He sighed. "My darling, you are _paradise_."

"Ditto," I whispered back.

Loki kissed me, and then leisurely pulled out. He waited, teasing me with his tongue, devouring my lips, until I whined for him to come back to me, and then he slipped into me again. I clung to him at first, trying to adjust to his size and the sharp sensation of his entry. It didn't hurt, but by God, the pressure alone made me want to wriggle until I got used to it again. It felt so good it seemed wrong.

One moment at a time, Loki relaxed and his body took over for him, gliding his cock in and out of me in such smooth, practiced motions. My inner walls had been sopping wet ever since my first orgasm, and it wasn't long before I relaxed into his rhythm as well. Heat suffused my skin and muscles, my nerves tingling, my mind floating off into the ether as the pleasure steadily filled me. I couldn't think of anything but of him and how damn amazing he felt inside me.

"I love this," he whispered as his hips snapped to mine, increasing his pace. "I love the way this feels. I love the way you feel, darling."

He gripped a handful of my ass and pulled me up from the bed to meet him. His thrusts deepened, quickened, the broad tip of his cock slipping through enough to graze my spot.

"Fuck!" I raked my nails down his spine and hooked my legs around his waist. "Oh _fuck_ , Loki, oh shit, mm, yes, please, right there!"

He growled with excitement at my encouragement and widened the stance of his legs, pinning me to the bed with his urgent, harsh strokes. My slick inner walls tightened more and more over his cock until he could hardly draw away from me at all. My eyes rolled back in my head as the pleasure completely dragged me under its depths.

"God, I'm gonna come, Loki," I whimpered. "You're making me come, baby. Fuck, it feels so _good_."

"I want it," he groaned back to me. "I want to feel you come, so badly, darling. Come for me."

That last utterance had been exactly what I'd needed, somehow. My control snapped and I dissolved underneath him all at once. I climaxed abruptly with a joyous shout of his name. My body convulsed and curled and trembled in the throes of ecstasy so intense it was maddening. Fuck, I'd never come this hard before in my life.

Loki buried his face in my neck and bit down, moaning and purring as he felt my orgasm, thrusting his way through it and sending me even higher into the clouds. For just a second, I felt his hesitation. I felt his uncertainty. Even after all we had done, some part of him felt he didn't deserve the pleasure of his own release.

A fierce part of me suddenly seized control. I slid my hand up into his dark hair and kissed him with all my might, my voice ragged and commanding. "Come for me, Loki. Now. Right fucking now."

I raked my nails over that sensitive spot near his ribs and he roared into my mouth, coming hard and immediate at the touch. Oh God, yes. I'd savor that sound for the rest of my life.

I arched my back and couldn't help mewling in pleasure as the heat of his come spilled into me and blanketed me in possessive pleasure. I didn't realize how much I'd wanted to feel his pleasure; seconds later, my body broke out into goosebumps and waves of shudders that made me realize I'd just come a second time off of feeling his release.

Damn it. I already had it bad for this jerk.

Loki slowed his thrusts one moment at a time, gently groaning through them, his lips still mated to mine. He let out a shuddering sigh and lost his fingers in my hair, sweeping it away from my brow as he lay an appreciative, grateful kiss on my lips. Little trembles flowed through us both as we gradually floated down from heaven together.

"That was..." He shook his head slightly. "I find myself having trouble putting it into words."

I chuckled hoarsely. "Then shut up."

Loki opened his eyes and grinned at me. "Are you going to shut me up, darling?"

"If you play your cards right, I just might."

He kissed me again, and then shifted to remove the bulk of his weight off of me. Notably, though, he didn't pull out. I think he wanted to remember the sensation for longer, and I didn't mind. I'd sort of missed it too. Eventually, we found a position that was comfortable as we cooled down. He languished my throat with soft, light kisses while I closed my eyes and gently dragged my fingertips over his spine and shoulder blades.

"What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"The break up."

He froze. I glanced down at him with an open, sympathetic look. "You might feel better if you talk about it. Trust me. Bottling it up forever is exactly how you got this stressed out."

Several emotions darted through his expression: fear, worry, suspicion, hurt, regret, anger, vulnerability. Eventually, he just sighed and resumed kissing my skin one inch at a time. "She left me at the altar."

I couldn't help it; I gaped at him. "You're _fucking_ kidding me."

"Sadly not," he said in a tired voice. "Two years we dated. I proposed and she said yes. Then I come to find she had been sporting with her tennis instructor in the last six months before the wedding, and she didn't make her final decision about the two of us until the bloody day of the wedding."

"Jesus. Fucking. Christ." I narrowed my eyes at him. "What's her full name and social security number?"

Loki snorted. "Intend to kill her, do you?"

"I will tie her up, drench her body in lye, and then bury her alive."

He laughed. "Well, that's actually nicer than what my older step-sister wanted to do, so congratulations. The little witch was simply lucky that my sister only gave her a black eye and cracked ribs. There was an entire murder plot planned until I put a stop to it."

"Damn right the bitch is lucky," I snarled. "How could anyone even conceive of doing that to a person? To go through all of that and be that cruel and selfish in the end?"

"Mysteries of the human condition," he said mildly. "After that, I went through a period of hating women that took months of therapy to reverse. Then I simply became...detached from the idea of sex and intimacy. It wasn't that I didn't still feel the urges. The risk simply wasn't worth it."

He paused and gave me a little smile, one that was surprisingly a bit shy. "Until now, that is."

"Well, I do throw a mean fuck."

Loki laughed again. "That you do, darling."

I brushed a stray curl behind his ear and lowered my voice a bit. "I'm sorry that happened to you. No one should have to go through that, not even you."

He gave me a small nod. "Thank you. You have done more to help than I could ever have imagined."

Then he gave me another heart-stopping wicked grin. "And I intend to pay you back in full."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be at least one more chapter, maybe more, but we'll see. And yes, join me in grinding your teeth at the thought of some bitch leaving Loki at the altar. I would kill her so very, very slowly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Loki have an unexpected heart-to-heart while going head-to-head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter. But we go out with a bang. *rimshot*

_I'm surprised that you've never been told before_

_That you're lovely and you're perfect and that somebody wants you_

_I'm surprised that you've never been told before_

_That you're priceless yet you're precious_

_Even when you are not new_

_-"FNT" by Semisonic_

"How often have you had this done?"

I thought about it. "Maybe once every three months or so?"

"Oh? But you have at least, what? Eight other massage therapists who work for you. Why so seldom?"

The bed shifted as Loki climbed onto the mattress. I lay on my stomach with a pillow underneath my head, arms crossed beneath my chin, freshly cleaned after a brief intermission from our stupid-hot fucking a little while ago. Loki had the bright idea to return the favor from this morning. It sounded silly for a massage therapist to be offered an amateur massage, but I didn't mind it one bit. I'd be able to guide him into doing it properly, and truth be told, Loki had the longest, most elegant fingers. He'd be excellent at it given the proper instruction.

"Part of my usual hypocrisy," I admitted. "I don't take a lot of time out to care for myself. I've only had another therapist work on me if a problem developed."

"Hypocrisy indeed," Loki said once he settled over me, his hands already faintly smelling of rose oil. "To provide such comfort and healing for others rather than yourself. I've found a lot of caretakers neglect themselves. It's a shame. You have an absolutely breathtaking body, darling."

I didn't quite blush, but it was a close thing. "Flatterer."

"I am being perfectly sincere," he said. "I confess I wanted you naked the second I saw you, even with my earlier reservations. I understood why Thor sought you out on a weekly basis. Even if your relationship is purely platonic, there is nothing a man can't appreciate about a gorgeous, poised woman who knows what to do with her hands."

I shook my head. "That Silvertongue must win you so many cases, Laufeyson."

He chuckled. "That it does. Now, my dear, shall we begin?"

"Yes," I said with a happy sigh. "Start at the nape, please. Apply gentle pressure and work your way down."

I shut my eyes and told myself to relax for once. Overthinking it would ruin the experience. If I did anything in this wretched life, I wanted to be able to look back on tonight and say that I enjoyed myself thoroughly in every possible way. I had no idea what was going to happen after we woke up tomorrow.

Loki's delicate fingers settled over my nape, just one hand at first, sliding the oil across my skin and working it in with small, soothing circles. Oh, yes. That's the good stuff.

Once he applied the oil, he spread his fingers out with his thumbs centered over the bones in my nape, and began to massage carefully. His fingertips brushed either side of my neck, which also felt wonderful since I had sensitive skin. "How is that?"

"Good," I murmured as I relaxed into it one moment at a time.

"Is that enough pressure?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent." He stayed in that one spot for a while, and then inched lower to my shoulder blades. Once there, he pressed down a little harder and made wide circles tracing my muscles with his thumbs while his fingers caressed the top of my shoulders. If he kept at it long enough, he might get me to drift off to sleep. He was pretty damn good for a beginner.

"About what I said earlier," Loki murmured. "About Thor. I apologize. That was low of me."

"It was, but I knew you were just trying to get a rise out of me. It's fine."

"It's not," he said, sighing as he slid his hands towards my upper back. "I have...certain reservations about our relationship. I am aware the oaf would never cheat on his beloved. I am just used to being overlooked since he is rather outgoing. I had assumed you were disinterested after having met him first."

"Not that I can talk, but you really shouldn't be so defensive. You're just as handsome as he is in an entirely different way. You probably turn a lot of heads without even knowing it."

"Perhaps."

"Is there actual friction there or are you just being difficult?"

"Some. Thor's father raised me. He could have done a better job, if I'm being honest, and so there is resentment within the household as a result."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I try not to let it control me, but it does rear its head every so often."

I thought it over for a bit. "Thor loves you. Dearly. Tell me you realize that."

Loki made a resigned growling noise. "Yes, I realize it."

"Seriously, he talks about you all the time. Things you did together as kids. Different little things you talk about when you meet for lunch. I don't know your history, but I should hope it's clear that even with your complicated relationship, he adores you. I'm a little jealous, honestly."

"The grass is always greener," he admitted as he smoothed his hands along the small of my back. "I wanted to be an only child when I was small. I suppose if nothing else, having a brother made me more well-rounded in its own way."

He focused pressure right above my backside and I couldn't help squirming and groaning in pleasure. He let out a soft laugh. "Liked that, did you?"

"Very much so."

He dragged his fingertips over the sloping curves of my ass, lightly, before skipping down to my thighs. He spread them carefully and then settled into long, slow strokes from inner to outer portions of my leg. I buried my face in the pillow to stifle a moan. It felt fantastic. My muscles hadn't been tight or anything, but after being without for so long, being touched intimately made me lose my head.

Loki's breathing picked up significantly as the massage of my legs continued. I wanted to push my lower body up against him and find out how hard he'd gotten by now, but I resisted the urge. I heard him swallow as he closed his hands around my knee and then rubbed the spot behind it. I bucked into the bed, moaning in slight alarm as a lazy curl of pleasure rolled up my body.

"I love how sensitive you are," he whispered. "You're already wet, darling."

That time I did blush. Scorching heat consumed the space between my legs. An ache pulsed through me and grew stronger by the second.

Loki ghosted his hands over my calves to my ankles, and by then, I couldn't help grinding down into the mattress to relieve some of the pressure. "Loki, please."

"In a moment, my sweet," he breathed back. "First, I want to ask you something."

My thoughts blurred together as the lust swept me under its grip once again. "What?"

The mattress tipped to one side and then the other as Loki crawled back up to meet me. His lips brushed the shell of my ear, but he didn't touch me with any other part of his body.

"When is the last time a man made love to you?"

Through the fog of my wanton need, I tried to consider what he meant. "What?"

"Not had sex," he said quietly. "Not fucked. When is the last time a man made love to you, darling? Slow, intimate, fulfilling lovemaking."

"I..." It took me a minute to think over it. Then I shook my head. "Not since college, maybe."

"I thought so," he said. "If it does not offend you, then I would like to do that with you now."

A small, insecure part of me reared its head. "Why?"

"Because I think you deserve to be made love to for once. As much as I enjoy rough, carnal fucking, I see something within you that needs attention. I think you need to feel appreciated. Especially if your past lovers have left you as unfulfilled as I suspect they have."

I nibbled my lower lip and glanced at him over my shoulder. He had a sincere look on his face. "Are you sure that's a good idea? It could make things...complicated."

"It's only a suggestion, sweetheart," he said, brushing a lock of my hair aside. "You may say no."

"It's..." I flushed again, oddly flattered by the thought. "It's okay. I, um, I think I'd like that."

He kissed my temple. "As you wish."

His lips claimed one side of my neck, grazing his teeth across my pulse, as he lowered himself to meet me at long last. I didn't hide the moan at the sensation of all that pale, smooth skin melting into my back, and the erotic brush of his hard cock over my bottom. He spread my legs completely apart with his knees and sunk his weight down into my curves until I lay flattened underneath him, deliciously trapped and helpless. He mapped the long curve of my right side all the way down until his hand vanished beneath our bodies. He rubbed the whole of me with those slender digits, sliding two of them inside to the second knuckle, testing me, his palm placing subtle pressure against my clit. I wriggled impatiently and he bit me in warning, silently commanding my patience, and I stilled.

Then he adjusted himself over me and slipped inside once again.

Oh, _God_.

And I thought I'd have a hard time keeping my cool before.

A sweet, sweet flood of pleasure rushed up from my sex and drowned me in seconds. Loki's cock parted my slick channel oh-so-slowly and then just kept going...and going...and going. Until finally, he bottomed out and the hard, flat surface of his pelvis crushed my soft ass. Loki inhaled deeply and then just released a purr of satisfaction that vibrated across my naked skin. My head spun with pleasant dizziness from how goddamn amazing that first thrust had felt. The golden heat that had already soaked my skin like rich honey sank deeper into my muscles and down to my bones.

And he hadn't even bloody moved yet.

Loki would be the death of me.

He reached up and gripped my chin, turning my head to one side, and kissed me. His tongue parted my lips and he devoured me at his leisure, still not moving another inch, and yet it felt so heavenly I couldn't even think straight.

Then he let me go and made love to me.

Loki wrapped one arm around my neck and shoulders to hold me steady and distribute the heavy weight of his body across mine, all the while his hips sunk into a hypnotizing rhythm. His cock filled me and retreated, again and again, as if time itself didn't exist and he could waste hours, days, years, just here between my thighs. Every stroke shocked me with lightning bolts of pure fire and then they bubbled out into molten, liquid joy in every nerve. My body couldn't handle it; I simply unraveled in his arms, putty in his hands, eyes closed, my lips parted enough to gasp out my praise every few seconds. Time dissipated. I couldn't tell if it had been minutes or hours of this unbelievable nirvana. And I didn't care.

Loki's chest rumbled with pleasant groans and excited growls once he felt me relax completely against him. He shifted slightly higher and his hips found a new cadence, faster, his legs joining in on the movement, allowing him to slide deeper still into my aching core. I grabbed handfuls of the covers and cried out, tensing as the pleasure doubled, tripled, each time he slid inside me.

Loki pushed up onto his hands and knees and plunged into me with renewed vigor, and the slap of skin on skin made me bury my face in the pillow to suppress a sudden, wild scream of delight. The pleasure just kept piling up inside me, filling me to the brim, threatening to spill over before long.

"L-Loki," I stammered out, tilting my head enough to rescue myself from the pillow. "I can't...please...I can't handle anymore..."

"I know, darling," he whispered back, licking his lips, those seawater eyes locked onto my trembling, vulnerable body. "Let go. Let go of everything."

He pulled me onto all fours and rode me hard, squeezing my hips, anchoring me against him as he drove his cock deeper still. I felt it when the tip slid through and hit my spot.

"Oh, God, _Loki_ ," I whimpered, shivering as I tried to hold on through his delicious strokes inside me. It was too much. It felt beyond good, beyond great, beyond phenomenal. I pressed my forehead against the bed and lifted my ass higher helplessly. Loki growled and slid his hands down over the soft curves, squeezing as he pounded into me like he owned me. Everything inside me tightened more and more until I thought I'd snap.

Then, just before I did, Loki pulled out.

I almost screamed at him.

But just as my mouth flew open to curse him in every damned language I knew, he flipped me over, pinned my wrists above my head, and delved back inside me so goddamn far I could taste him.

"Fucking hell," he rasped, his eyelids fluttering closed, and then he kissed me like I was the last woman on the planet earth. My legs twined around his waist and held me steady as he drove deep, finding my spot again in seconds and striking it over and over as if he would never stop. God, I didn't want him to stop. I wanted him to stay here with me until the end of human existence as long as he made me feel this damned good. I was drawn and quartered and completely, utterly _his_.

"Come," he whispered hoarsely, those dark lashes framing his brilliant eyes as he stared down at me. "Come for me, darling."

His fingers let go of my wrists and then laced with mine as he held me down against the bed and made love to me fiercely, unselfishly, with every fiber of his being.

I didn't stand a chance.

I shuddered, once, hard, and finally let go.

My spine arched just as he met me in the middle and the climax dragged us both under at the same time. Colors swirled and melted into stars and galaxies in my eyes. My senses slipped their skin and twisted into something otherworldly. All I could taste and touch and see and smell and hear was Loki. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that all he could taste and touch and see and smell and hear was me.

There was no telling how long it was before I returned to my mortal form. I didn't even venture a guess. The two of us were still intertwined, his forehead on mine, hands joined, our collective breathing shallow and way too fast.

Once he caught his breath, Loki opened his eyes. He started to smile, but then something distraught seized his features. "Darling, are you alright?"

I blinked at him, and that was when I felt them.

Tears.

Holy shit.

"Gods, did I hurt you?" he asked, worriedly lifting up, but I tightened my legs around his waist.

"I'm fine," I croaked, wiping the drying tracks from my cheeks. "I swear, I'm fine. You didn't hurt me. I just...I've never...felt that before. It was intense."

Loki sighed in relief. "Truth be told...me neither."

We both smiled at each other a little, scared shitless, until I broke the tension. "So you wanna just live under my skirt for the rest of your life or what?"

Loki laughed. All the lines in his face filled with light and joy. He was absolutely stunning when he smiled like that.

"I can think of worse places to be. Why not?"

I lifted up enough to kiss him softly, tenderly, my voice the slightest bit wicked. "Don't worry. I promise it'll be painless."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked it, please consider buying me a Kofi. It would be a huge help. 
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/birdofhermes


End file.
